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Last weekend, the éS Game of SKATE hit the East Coast with tournaments in New York City and in Boston. The New York City Game of SKATE was held at Tompkins Square Park and was co-presented by Autumn, one of the last true skate shops in the city.

A great skate session ensued all day, with the eighty entrants in the Game of SKATE taking up one corner of the TF for a few hours in the afternoon. After all was said and done, eighty led to one skater, and it was young buck Leo Gutman who took top honors, although John Budinoff, Mike Wright, Scott Furkay, Miles Marquez and a few others also made great impressions.

The crowd of 350 was super enthusiastic and made all the skaters feel appreciated, no matter how well they did, and that was amazing to see. Thanks to Craig Metzger and Joe Bragan, the event went smoothly and everyone had a good time. Also thanks to Dave Mims at Autumn for keepin' it real in NYC.

In Melrose, Massachusetts, Arty and Matt at Coliseum spread the word about the Game of SKATE, even though the permit for the spot had fallen through. With never a word of worry, we were able to find an abandoned spot at Stoneham High School, right down the street from the shop, and sixty-four kids came out of the woodwork to have fun, play SKATE, and discuss the merits of certain tricks. After all, what would a Boston Game of SKATE be without a little controversy?

So what was the problem, you ask? Well, it seems that the winner, John Phat, did one-footed ollies in the last two rounds, after all the other tricks were exhausted, and the guys he was playing didn't make 'em. One of the other kids, a youngster named George, got really upset and starting making a big scene. He said 'That's not a trick. I study skateboarding history and that's not even a trick anymore!' His point was that the one-footed ollie, that defeated his friend, was cheesy. And maybe he was right. But John was ripping, and played SKATE to win, so more power to him!

And George? He had lost in the first round and was really into all the attention he was getting by running around screaming and making a big scene. Maybe if he put that much energy into skating, he'd have made it a little farther in the tournament. But either way, he had a good time that day, no matter what he was doing, and that's what counts. Gavin MacMahon Nolan, Mike Follen, Skyler Rickets, Nick Principato and a few other guys really ripped, and Southie was there to cheer Nick Morrissey and everyone on.

Good conversation followed a good day of skateboarding and thus wrapped-up a double-shot weekend of the éS Game of SKATE. Be sure to check out the éS Game of SKATE info page for more info on events in Virginia Beach, Tampa, Chicago, the San Fernando Valley and the Southern California high desert.